About This Program

The interdisciplinary field of disability studies explores the experiences of people with disabilities—one of the largest minorities in the United States and worldwide—as well as the ways in which conceptions and representations of disability and “the normal” have shaped human experiences more generally.  Treating disability as a crucial element of human diversity, the Minor in Disability Studies approaches disability as a social, cultural, and political construct rather than just a medical condition (as it is commonly viewed). Taught by faculty from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Innovation, Business, and Education as well as the School of Social Work, this flexible and multidisciplinary minor prepares students for a variety of graduate programs and for careers in law, education, public health, engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, social work, communication, public history and museums, and sports management and coaching, among other fields.

Students seeking to minor in Disability Studies should first consult with advisors in their major departments or programs for approval, then meet with the director and advisor of the Minor in Disability Studies.

Competencies

1. Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate their ability to use disability studies concepts, frameworks, and/or theories to develop analytical claims within their writing.
2. Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate the ability to apply disability studies concepts to a real-world situation.
3. Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate deep knowledge of the disability history.
4. Upon completion, minors shall demonstrate competency in the basic research and communication skills appropriate to their major discipline, applied to an issue relevant to disability studies.

 

Curriculum

A minor in Disability Studies consists of 18 hours, including two required courses:  U.S. Disability History (DS 3307/HIST 3307) and Disability Studies Internship (DS 4395).  Students also take two to four core disability studies courses and can take up to two approved electives.  No more than four courses may be completed in a single discipline.

Disability Studies Foundations
DS/HIST 3307	U.S. DISABILITY HISTORY	3
DS 4395	DISABILITY STUDIES INTERNSHIP 1	3
Select at least two from the following:		6
DS 2301	TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES
DS 3312	DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK
or SOCW 3312	DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK
DS 3321	CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS
DS/PHIL 3322	DISABILITY ETHICS
DS 3327	CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS
or HIST 4327	CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS
DS 3331	RESEARCH IN DISABILITY STUDIES
DS 3346	DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA
or COMM 3346	DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA
DS 3355	UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS
or THEA 3355	UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS
DS 3399	DISABILITY AND ART
or ART 3399	DISABILITY AND ART
DS 4191	CONFERENCE COURSE
DS 4291	CONFERENCE COURSE
DS/HIST 4326	TOPICS IN DISABILITY HISTORY
DS 4329	DISABILITY & WORK
or MANA 4329	DISABILITY & WORK
DS 4391	CONFERENCE COURSE
DS 4491	CONFERENCE COURSE
KINE 3304	ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT
HIST 4395	HISTORY SEMINAR (requires prior approval from director)
Electives
Select up to two from the following:		6
ART 4304	ART AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
ASL 1441	BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I
ASL 1442	BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II
ASL 2313	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I
ASL 2314	INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II
ANTH 3369	MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
CTEC 3323	USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN PROCESS
COMM 3350	HEALTH COMMUNICATION
COMM 4352	COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
DS 4100	WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
HEED 3330	CONSUMER HEALTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS
HIST 3308	HISTORY OF MADNESS
HIST 4307	HISTORY OF MEDICINE
HIST 4309	SOCIAL DARWINISM AND EUGENICS
HIST 4333	COMPARATIVE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY
HUMA 3300	MEDICAL HUMANITIES
HUMA 3350	CLINICAL MEDICINE AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
HUMA 3360	AMERICAN HEALTHCARE THROUGH FILM
KINE 3307	SPORT AND SOCIETY: ISSUES AND DEBATES
LING 2371	LANGUAGE IN A MULTICULTURAL USA
MANA 4326	DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
MODL 4310	GRAPHIC NOVELS AND THE MEDICAL WORLD
PHIL 3319	BIOMEDICAL ETHICS
POLS 3309	HEALTH POLITICS, POLICY, AND ADVOCACY
POLS 4340	FEDERAL SOCIAL POLICY
POLS 4350	HEALTH POLITICS AND POLICY
SOCI 3318	SELF AND SOCIAL IDENTITY
SOCI 3342	SOCIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY
or KINE 3342	SOCIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY
SOCI 4320	MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY
SPAN 3308	SPANISH FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
THEA 3351	ROBOTS, DIGITAL HUMANITIES, AND THEATRE
The follow require prior approval from director:
ANTH 3330	CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY
ART 4396	SPECIAL STUDIES IN ART HISTORY
ECON 3301	THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH
ENGL 3347	TOPICS IN MULTICULTURAL AMERICAN LITERATURES
ENGL 4345	TOPICS IN CRITICAL THEORY
HIST 3330	U.S. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, COLONIAL TO 1877
HIST 3331	U.S. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, 1877 TO PRESENT
HUMA 3340	TOPICS IN MEDICAL HUMANITIES
KINE 2351	HEALTH ISSUES IN DIVERSE & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
KINE 3350	URBANIZATION AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
PHIL 3341	TOPICS IN BIOETHICS
SCIE 4304	DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN DISEASE
SOCI 3336	SOCIAL INEQUALITY
SOCW 3307	DIVERSE POPULATIONS
SPED 4304	ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
SPED 4307	SPECIAL EDUCATION LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES
Total Hours		18

Note that some electives change focus from term to term and may therefore not be relevant to the minor during a particular semester.  Credit will only be given when the topic of the course (or a substantial portion) focuses on issues related to disability. Other relevant courses not listed may also be used to fulfill the minor, with approval from the director of the Minor in Disability Studies.  For that reason and for the purposes of planning the internship, it is important that students consult with the advisor for the minor before registering each semester. 

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DS 4395 is a supervised internship/capstone course through which students apply the academic skills they have acquired in Disability Studies courses.  Interns work at an approved business, academic, or non-profit site that focuses on adapted sports, disability history, assistive technology, disability rights and policy, or universal design and accessibility; they also complete a capstone essay.  Students should complete this course as one of their final courses for the minor and must have already taken or be taking DS 3307/HIST 3307.